


Fantastic Beasts Week 2020

by mysteriousphoenix



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Anti-Villain, Deleted Scenes, Domestic Fluff, F/M, FBWeek2020, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Found Family, Songfic, Wandless Magic, big life events, newtina, prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:54:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27591668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysteriousphoenix/pseuds/mysteriousphoenix
Summary: A place to post all of my FBWeek2020 fics!Day 1: A Different Path (Deleted Scene)Day 2: Through the Universe (Era AU)Day 3: Free Day (Prompt: I don't want to forget this.)Day 5: Find Your Destiny (Found Family/Anti-Villain)Day 4: Beyond the Magic (No Wand)Day 6: Free Day (Prompt: I can't believe you're actually wearing my clothes...")Day 7: Pages of Poems (Songfic)
Relationships: Queenie Goldstein & Tina Goldstein, Queenie Goldstein/Jacob Kowalski, Tina Goldstein/Newt Scamander
Comments: 26
Kudos: 63
Collections: FB Week 2020 #FBWeek2020





	1. Day 1: Deleted Scenes

“Tina, what are you doing?” Jacob asked as soon as Newt had disappeared down the ladder into his case. “You’ve barely said two words to the guy since we found you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tina said huffily as she pulled at the knot holding her dark coat closed against her body. She was so hot, she needed freedom, she needed air. She tugged, finally pulling the knot free, and peeled the heavy leather from her arms as blessedly cool air kissed the dampness beneath. She sighed heavily, placing the coat over the arm of the only chair left that had not been claimed by the lifeless form of Yusuf Kama. 

“Tina…” Jacob trailed off, one eyebrow raised in defiance to her coolness. She knew what he was trying to talk about, and as much as she liked Jacob, he wasn’t the one she was going to spill her heart to. He didn’t have to know about the way Newt had cast her aside after leading her on through truly...marvelous letters.

She shook her head. _No Tina_ , she thought as she glanced down at the open lid of the case. What was done was done, no amount of prodding from Jacob would get her to forgive Newt for all the pain he had caused.

“What’s got you so upset, Tina? He came here just to find--”

“I don’t really care why he’s here, Jacob.” Tina interrupted, her hands finding purchase on her hips as she looked across the room at the man who she wanted to call a friend. His very existence had caused a rift between her sister and herself. She turned away from him, pretending to look down at Kama. One hand smoothed over her hair in frustration, resting at the back of her head as she looked down, not seeing what was before her.

_It’s not Jacob’s fault._

She knew that. As much as she wanted to place blame on him, as much as he was the easy scapegoat, it wasn’t his fault. Her sister loved him and he loved her. Tina knew that, but she knew that her belief in the law and her sister’s headstrong personality had finally reached that point of no return. It was them together or apart. There was no compromise, at least there hadn’t been then. Months later, Tina knew better and she blamed herself for the rift between them every day. Queenie had hurt her too, though. So much.

_You’re just jealous. At least my guy wants to be with me_.

Tina closed her eyes as Jacob started speaking again, the sound reaching her ears but not quite reaching her thoughts. That one hurtful line from Queenie had sealed their fate, had separated them when Tina had stormed out of the apartment, and had made her even angrier at Newt. He tossed her to the side and then she was jealous. She knew that she had been, the unrelenting clench in her stomach when she had found Queenie and Jacob that night had been only half about the law. She was scared for her sister, for the man that she would otherwise love to call her brother-in-law in different circumstances...but she was just as jealous that Queenie’s fella was there in their living room and her own was miles across the sea, engaged to his childhood sweetheart. It had stung severely. 

“Tina... _Tina_.”

“What?” Tina started, her eyes swinging around to meet Jacobs where he leaned against the doorframe.

“I asked why you’re so mad at him.”

Tina pursed her lips and looked away again, this time with purpose. “It doesn’t matter, Jacob,” she said shortly. She reached down into her coat pocket, rooting around until she found the small black book. She was looking for something to do with her hands, anything that could occupy her mind. Her fingers closed around the book just as a faint roar issued from the open case across the room. Tina stilled and turned around to look at it, the book clutched tightly in her hand. Jacob looked down, unphased, then back up at Tina who was looking wide-eyed at the case.

“I just think that if a fella comes all the way from another country to find his girl, it might mean something.” Jacob looked pointedly at Tina who scoffed and tore her eyes away from the case. She dropped into the chair, slamming the book too hard onto her knee.

“I’m not his girl.”

Jacob snorted and Tina glanced up at him, annoyed. “What are you laughing at?”

“You are,” he said chuckling, “you have no idea what he went through to get here.”

“I’m not. I won’t ever be, and I really don’t appreciate you waltzing in here and throwing all of this in my face again. First Queenie and now you, and I’m sick of it.” Tina flung the book open, hearing the rip of a page. She slowed her movements and ran her finger over the rip, smoothing it out, “He’s made his choice, and it wasn’t me.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Jacob said, his hands out in front of him in a sign of peace as he pushed himself off the doorframe and began walking toward her. Another roar and a distant thump issued from the case on the floor, but both occupants of the room ignored it. “What’re you talking about, Teen?”

“Oh, come off it, Jacob. I know he's probably bragged all about it by now.” She flipped pages absently, finding her way to the naturally creased pages of the twentieth prophecy. She could see the words in front of her, swimming in her vision, memorized weeks ago.

" _A son cruelly banished_

_Despair of the daughter_

_Return, great avenger_

_With wings from the water._ "

Jacob laughed again. “What on Earth would Newt possibly be bragging about? I don’t know that the guy has ever bragged about a single thing in his whole life.”

Tina slammed the book shut and leaned back in the chair, crossing her arms. “His engagement! Mercy Lewis, Jacob…”

Jacob looked at her, stunned. His hand slowly rose to run through his slicked hair, displacing the strands at the back of his head. “My God...he…you…” His eyes widened as he looked at her, his arms loosely falling to his sides. “No wonder you twos stopped writin’ to each other. He’s not…”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore, Jacob.” Tina closed her eyes tightly, her fingers gripping tightly to the book in her lap.

“You guys need to talk.”

“ _No_ , Jacob. Now please, leave me alone. _Please._ This is hard enough.”

“No, Tina...you two _really_ need to talk.” He was smiling. _Why on earth was he smiling right now?_

“Jacob, _no._ ”

“Alright. Suit yourself.” Jacob said in a clipped voice, wandering off toward the kitchen. He looked back once over his shoulder before slipping through the dark doorway. She could hear cupboards creaking open and slamming shut mixing with the dull roars coming from the case. Tina closed her eyes tightly and rubbed her temples. She stood and paced across the room, then back to the chair. She turned to listen to the roars from the case, her heart clenching in her chest as she looked at the various drawings and baggage tickets from his travels. He’d even kept the New York ticket. Tina rolled her eyes and began her pacing again.

_I should just leave. Run away from here and never look back._

The plan in her head sounded perfect, but there was one very large problem, and he was laying across the chaise lounge. She needed to figure out what was wrong with Mr. Kama, take him into the Ministry, and she needed to figure out what to do quickly. Her whole body was tense and she wanted to leave as soon as possible. 

She was frustrated, mad, and _hurt._ Seeing Newt again had awakened something that she had pushed down deep inside of her for months, since she had tossed that final letter from him into the box beneath her bed, the tears streaming down her face as she thought of Leta’s hand on his arm, the sparkling ring on her hand announcing to the world that he had chosen his childhood love. Not Tina, never Tina. He had moved on, he had never felt anything, and she had wasted months of her life and given her heart to a man who didn’t appreciate or even _want_ it.

But that moment in the sewer, she had seen him and she forgot everything, just for a moment. Tina had forgotten the intensity of his eyes when they connected with her own. His look had nearly broken her as she came down off of the initial shock of seeing him in Paris. He had looked pleased to see her, but she had wanted to hit him, shove him, touch him, kiss him…

_No, Tina._

He wasn’t hers. He never would be. 

She straightened up, perching on the edge of the chair. Her stomach muscles were tensed to the point of pain, and she bit her lip, hard, as she flipped her book open again. She wasn’t seeing the words, though she could recite every last syllable on the page. Her eyes traveled to Kama once again as her brain tried to think up a way, any way, to wake him. 

She continued to pretend to read, though her eyes shifted toward the case when Jacob came around the corner, his walk showing purpose. He squeezed between the edge of the case and the staircase, making his way to the living area where Tina was sitting. Her eyes looked down, trained on the words as Jacob doubled back toward the case.

“Hey, Newt! Buddy, uh...Tina’s up here and she’s all by her lonesome…”

Tina’s eyes snapped up as she rounded to look at Jacob’s back where he leaned over the case.

_Damn it, Jacob!_

“...and maybe you want to come up and keep her company?”

Tina looked back at her book, the nerves sending her body into fight or flight mode. She bit her bottom lip, hard, and she tasted the metallic swirl of blood as she closed her eyes. Jacob was still yelling down into Newt’s case. His world.

Maybe he could help her. Maybe he had a creature that could help. Newt always knew how to handle these situations. Then, she could leave.

_Okay, wake Kama and leave. Then you’ll never have to see him again._

Tina turned to look at the case as Newt ascended, his rough, scarred hands resting on the lip of the battered leather box that held his whole life’s work. She felt her eyes widen and her jaw slacken as she watched him.

_Business, Goldstein. Get what you need from him and leave. He doesn’t love you. No more of this._

Tina took a deep breath and stood up, closing her book with an audible snap. Newt had been talking and she waited for him to finish. As hurt as she was, she still loved his voice. The way his vowels rolled off his tongue still made her want to smile. She had to push that aside, though. 

_Enough, now._

“Mr. Scamander, do you have anything in your case that might help revive this man?”


	2. Era AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An Era AU story - Newt and Tina meet in Diagon Alley....modern day!

The wall was dark, dingy, and annoyingly solid. Tina looked around her at the brick walls, the dirty, stone floor, and the lack of a door. The man at the MInistry said, very clearly, that she was to walk through the Leaky Cauldron and through the door at the back of the pub. Well, she had done that, but the alley showed no sign of a door, only a few old wine barrels and liquor crates.

Sighing, Tina rolled her eyes at her luck and was about to make her way back into the bar to ask for directions. The man at the bar had been eyeing her curiously when she walked in, and she hated the thought of going back out there, especially after this long. They would know she had been in this alley, alone, staring at a wall for several minutes. It was hardly a good first impression. She leaned back against the cool bricks, the cars moving by on Charing Cross Road still a constant background symphony. She pulled out her muggle mobile, a gift from her sister, Queenie, when she had moved out of their shared apartment to live with her boyfriend. They had become all the rage among the wizarding world over the past few years, the instant information was quite helpful, especially for Aurors. She illuminated the screen and saw that she had been here for eight minutes. That would never do, she had to figure this out on her own or figure out how to make a hasty exit.

“Alright, Scamander?” a voice asked from just inside the pub door. It must have been the landlady, she had been wiping down tables after the lunch rush when Tina came in a few minutes previously. 

“Good morning, Hannah,” a quiet voice replied. It was soft and melodic, and the voice seemed to be coming toward Tina. She bristled slightly and prepared herself for embarrassment, but as the source of the voice appeared, he seemed to be embarrassed enough for the both of them.

“Oh, hello,” he said in surprise as he rounded the corner, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know anyone was back here.” His rust-colored hair fell across his forehead in tangled curls and he glanced up at her briefly before looking away toward the wall. “Um, after you,” he said, gesturing toward the wall and stepping back away from Tina.

Tina tried to smile but, instead, she ended up biting her lip and felt the blood rush to her cheeks. “I, uh...I don’t actually know how to get in,” she said, preparing herself for the laughter that was bound to come. He surprised her, though, as he looked up at her with wide eyes.

“You’re American.”

“Yes.”

The man looked at her for several beats before he started and cleared his throat. “So sorry, er, here.” Pulling out his wand, he seemed to be counting bricks before tapping a random red brick quickly and stepping back. The wall seemed to unfold before her, the bricks stacking upon each other and rotating to form a wide, arched doorway in the wall. The sun shone through the opening, illuminating the back room and the stranger beside her who was watching her with amusement.

“Your first time in Diagon Alley, I take it?” He was grinning down at her, his blue-green eyes sparkling in the light. Tina was looking around in awe at the blatant use of magic before her. This was something she had never seen before, everything back home was so secret, so locked up and shoved away as if their whole world was something to be ashamed of. This was stunning, colorful, and absolutely _magical._

“Yeah…” Tina breathed, her eyes finding their way back to the sights before her. “I, honestly, don’t even know where to start.” She heard the man beside her chuckle at her wonder before he stepped through the doorway, turning toward her and beckoning her closer with his hand.

“Here, let’s let the doorway close,” he said as Tina crossed the threshold. She turned as the bricks behind her unfurled to create a solid wall once more. “Well, welcome to Diagon Alley,” the man said, looking down at her.

“It’s amazing,” Tina stated as she grinned up at him.

“You don’t have anything like this back home?” he asked, curiously, as he began to walk forward along the cobblestone path. 

Tina shook her head, following at his side. “No, definitely not. We have some hidden wizarding shops and a few that lead from one to the next, like a no-maj strip mall, but nothing like this.” Looking around, Tina smiled at a child who was walking by, an owl cage hanging from his small hand. “Even hidden, the shops would never dare to have this much magic on display.” 

“Well, Britain isn’t as strict as all that. A lot of wizards don’t know how to blend in anyway, there are a few too many muggle sightings every year, but,” he shrugged, “what can you do?”

Chuckling, Tina looked forward down the path. She saw ancient storefronts on both sides of the streets, the winding cobblestones leading toward a large, marble building at the end. Along the way she saw robe shops, book stores, piles of cauldrons in every shape and size imaginable, and even shops full of various creatures, some of which she had never seen before. 

“Oh! Thank you for helping me get through the doorway, uh…” Tina realized with a start that, though she had spent several minutes with this man, she hadn’t asked his name.

“Newt.”

“Newt. Thank you, Newt.” She turned to him with a grin, “I’m Tina.”

“Hello, Tina,” he said with a smile, and Tina giggled in response. “I suppose you are just here looking around, then?” he continued curiously.

“Oh, yeah. I’ve heard of this place but I wanted to see for myself. I have always heard that it is pretty impressive.”

“Did it live up to your expectations?” Newt inquired.

“Oh yes!” Tina said, excitedly, “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

“If you think this is impressive, you ought to see the magical streets in Beijing. They are even older and more colorful than this,” he said, his head swinging around to look into the windows of a shop that housed dozens of owls, pigeons, and tropical birds of all sizes, all in cages that lined the windows and the shelves inside the door.

“Wait, you’ve been to Beijing?” Tina asked after a few moments, her eyebrows lifted in surprise.

“Oh, er, yeah. That’s kind of my job,” he said, “I travel around the world and study magical creatures.”

“You study...wait. Hold on. You do _what_ now?” Tina asked, her eyes wide as she placed one hand on his forearm. He stopped and turned toward her. 

“I’m a Magizoologist.” Newt looked like he was struggling to find a balance somewhere between pride and embarrassment, but Tina’s look of stunned awe made him smile, settling on pride.

“That’s so cool!” Tina smiled up at him, her grin infectious, “What is it you do, exactly?”

Newt began speaking enthusiastically as they walked, pausing his stories of traveling occasionally to point out something interesting in a storefront. Tina couldn’t help noticing that he was quite attractive. His features were soft, yet he held a secretive strength within him. He was interesting to talk to and, even though Tina was only on assignment in Britain for three weeks, she was finding that she wouldn’t mind spending more time talking with him. She hated to think of their short time together ending so soon.

Eventually, they reached a nondescript, blue door and Newt paused. “Well, this is me. I mean, not me, exactly, but...my publisher. I have a meeting in a few.”

“Oh, well...um, It was nice to talk to you, Newt. I really enjoyed meeting you.” Tina flashed him a quick, closed-lipped smile, disappointment evident on her face.

Newt turned and placed his hand on the doorknob as Tina turned away, crossing the street, wandering back toward the main part of town. He stilled and, after a moment of hesitation, released the knob and turned around. “Tina!”

Tina whipped around, her short hair waving in the breeze. Newt was approaching her quickly, jogging across the street to catch up to her.

“Tina…” Newt pursed his lips before plunging ahead, “Do you want to meet me later?” 

“What”

“Dinner. Will you meet me for dinner later? I-- I talked so much about myself with you, I’d love to hear more about you. I mean, that is if you…”

“Yes!”

“Excuse me?”

“I’d love to, Newt,” Tina’s smile widened and she giggled quietly. “Very much.”

“Oh! Oh...good. Yes. Um, here.” Newt pulled out a small, silver mobile phone. It was quite old and out of date, but Tina had quickly come to understand that he was a simple guy, one who didn’t need anything flashy or complicated. He handed the small phone over and Tina bit her lip to control her giddiness as she typed her number quickly and saved it in his contacts.

“Tina Goldstein,” Newt said quietly, looking up at her. 

“Yep, that’s me,” Tina said, pulling her long cardigan closer to her body to shield herself from the wind.

“Well, I’ll see you later, then, Tina Goldstein.”

“Yes, you will.” Tina smiled once more at him, slowly backing away as she waved at him. “Have a good meeting.” Newt waved and turned, looking back over his shoulder once on his way back to the door and flashing a quick, lopsided grin at her. She practically skipped back down the cobblestone path, a smile plastered to her face as she traveled back the way she had come. She felt her phone buzz in her back pocket and she pulled it out quickly, looking at the screen with anticipation.

**Meet you at Rosa Lee’s at 18:00?**

Tina did the math in her head, figuring out the Standard Time equivalent, then typed a response.

**Looking forward to it. :) See you then!**

Wiping her screen clear, she placed the phone back into her pocket and followed the rough path back to the town center, her eyes scanning the storefronts for the tea shop, a smile never leaving her face. 


	3. I Don't Want to Forget This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fantastic Beasts Week, Day 3. Free choice! 
> 
> I am fulfilling an anonymous prompt on Tumblr from months ago. 
> 
> "I don't want to forget this."

The blanket was soft beneath her as Tina began to drift back to consciousness. The warm summer afternoon and the light, salty breeze off the ocean had lulled her to sleep where she sat with Newt beneath the sprawling branches of the beech tree.

His childhood home was nearby and they had been staying there for nearly a fortnight, but after breakfast, Newt had grabbed her hand and led her outside where he had stashed a blanket and a basket of provisions. “I want to get away for a while. With you.” 

They had walked through the wards that kept the Scamander Estate hidden from muggle view and had strolled for nearly a mile down a weather-beaten dirt road. Grasses grew tall and untamed, dotted with patches of colorful wildflowers. The ocean, now visible in the distance, was sparkling in the sunlight.

Newt led her to a small grove of trees a little way off the road. He hadn’t spoken much during their walk, but his hand had remained solidly around her own, his fingers sliding between her own somewhere along their walk. It wasn’t an awkward silence. Far from it, in fact. As their relationship had grown over the past year, through letters and now over cups of tea and quick lunches grabbed at the Ministry, they had grown into a comfortable companionship. There was trust and deep friendship. There was love. She had let the word slip last month, but Newt had just smiled and returned the sentiment as he cupped her cheek and smiled at her, his happiness evident in his radiance.

Laying the blanket on the soft grass, they had sprawled out on their sides, talking quietly with their faces close together. Their hands clasped and fingers brushed callused skin as they spoke of their childhood dreams and how those dreams had changed through the years. Newt spoke of his own future goals, something that he didn’t speak of often. He had said once that it was hard for him to imagine anything besides the lonely life of solitude that he had spent his first thirty years accepting would be his fate. Tina had changed all of that, and he had spent the last year building a new future for himself in his mind.

There were periods of silence and periods of laughter as they laid on the blanket together. They spent some time kissing and enjoying the solitude that the Dorset countryside provided, something they had been lacking since they had joined the company of Newt’s mother and brother the previous week. 

Eventually, Newt opened the basket of fruits, cheeses, and sandwiches that he had packed. Tina, eating her fill and feeling the warmth of the day settle over her, laid her head back and watched Newt, who had grabbed his sketchbook and settled his back against a tree trunk. His hands fluidly worked their way across the page, his arms free of his jacket and his shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows. Proprietary had no place here in his safe place, and Tina loved to see him this way. Relaxed and free.

The soothing sounds of his pencil scratching across the surface of the page and the wind soothing her heated body eventually lulled her into a light sleep, though for how long, she was not sure. As she breathed deeply and opened her eyes, she found Newt exactly where she had last seen him, but he had shifted his body slightly to the right, no longer looking toward the ocean. He looked up from his sketch to find her watching him and a comfortable smile crossed his face. 

“How long was I asleep,” Tina asked groggily, her legs stretching out on the blanket, her bare feet skirting the grass at the edge.

Newt placed his pencil between the pages of his sketchbook and scooted his body back to the blanket, sitting cross-legged net to Tina. “Not long, maybe twenty minutes? You looked peaceful and I didn’t want to wake you.” He looked down at her where she lay with her head cradled in her arms, then reached forward to tuck a wayward strand of hair that had escaped her low chignon. Her hair was barely long enough to wear up, but she had tried to escape the heat of the day by pulling it off her neck. She knew Newt liked it like this, though he had never said as much out loud. 

“What are you working on?” Tina inquired, her hand reaching for the battered, leather sketchbook that laid at Newt’s side. She flipped to the page he had been working on, where his discarded pencil lay across the gutter of the book. Rather than the latest re-draw of a creature for his next installment of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, there was a very lovingly drawn sketch of her, sleeping while sprawled across the blanket. Her dress was draped across her legs, her bare feet tucked in the fold of the picnic blanket, her eyes lightly closed with her lashes fanned over her cheeks. It wasn’t complete, not to Newt’s standards, but she could tell he had added as many details as he could before she woke up.

“It’s...me.”

“Yes,” he replied, looking down at the sketchbook in her hands. “I don’t want to forget this,” he said simply. Tina ran one finger along the margin of the page, making sure not to smudge the pencil lines. She placed the pencil back between the pages and closed the book with a soft _plop_. She pulled herself up to a seated position, positioning her body net to Newt’s and fanning out the hem of her skirt around her. 

“What makes today so special?” she asked, turning her head to watch him. He was looking out at the water, thinking about something. He turned his head toward her and smiled, leaning forward to touch his forehead to her own. His eyes closed but he didn’t lean forward for a kiss. Instead, he brushed her hairline with his lips, which felt just as intimate.

“I’m happy here. _You_ make me happy. I feel… freer than I have in a long time, actually.” He wrapped one arm around her waist, his fingers toying with the piped hem he found there. “You know that I was always alone before, that I didn’t trust people, that I was afraid to get close to anybody?” Tina nodded. She was well aware of his past, the hurt and frustration that having different goals or skills provided was something with which they were both familiar. 

“I’m not nervous or afraid with you, not anymore. I trust you, which is...kind of, well, unheard of for me.” His fingers continued to fidget with her dress, and she let him. She could tell that he had something to say and she wanted him to get it out. He was in a pensive mood, he had been all day, and she knew something had been on his mind for a few days.

“I’ve been wanting to ask you something for a few weeks now, but I haven’t found the right moment. I, honestly, don’t know if now is the right moment or not, but I don’t want to wait anymore.” Newt looked down into her face, his eyes meeting her own. He was waiting for her, she wasn’t quite sure why, but she nodded silently up at him.

He looked away for a moment, his lips were pursed and his hands stilled their activity. Tina, curious now, tilted her head to the side. “What did you want to ask me?” she asked softly. She saw his shoulders rise and fall in a deep breath.

“You know I love you, right?” he asked, turning to look at her once again.

“Of course I do,” Tina said with a smile, “and I love you.”

“I never thought that I would get the chance to have a solid friendship, let alone _this_ , and I was always fine with that. I had my creatures, I had the occasional affection of family, I was content.” The corner of Newt’s mouth quirked into a half-smile. “Then I met you, Tina, and I knew as soon as I got on that boat after spending a week with you in New York that my life had changed. For the first time in my life, I was wondering what a life built with someone might look like. It was...terrifying...and lovely. So many scenarios went racing through my mind, and I was so excited to see you again.”

Tina leaned her head on his shoulder and his hand tightened around her waist. She could feel him trembling slightly and she looked up at his face, his fringe casting shadows across his eyes in the sunlight. “I guess what I am trying to say is that...I love you, and I want to make a life with you, Tina.” Newt shifted to face her, taking her hand in his own. “I have for quite a while now. I can’t imagine anything that would make me happier or bring me more honor than spending my life with you.”

Tina felt her heartbeat quicken. She had thought of this quite often herself. She had been so happy with Newt. She felt like, even though her life had spiraled out of control and their relationship had begun amidst tragedy and chaos, he had been her center. He had calmed her, listened to her, and helped her create a new life for herself in England. He was her home now, even with an ongoing search for her sister still in progress.

She knew what he was about to ask her. Tears sprang to her eyes and she let them fall free as she squeezed his hand more firmly. 

“Newt…”

Newt reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out a small, round ring box. He flicked the clasp with his finger and the box fell open to reveal a diamond ring, modest but beautiful. He knew her well.

“Tina, will you marry me?”

She gazed down at the ring nestled in the small box, then back up at Newt. Her mouth had fallen open in shock and she felt her free hand come to her face, covering her mouth. 

She nodded.

Newt smiled nervously, asking, “Is that a yes, then?”

With a choked sob, Tina pulled her hand from his and threw both of her arms around his neck, holding him through her happy laughter and tears. “Yes,” she whispered into his neck as his arms wrapped around her and held her to him. “ _Yes_.”

She slowly pulled away, leaving just a bit of space between them. She could see tears glistening on Newt’s eyelashes as he cupped her cheek. “Yes?”

She laughed brightly, her hands cupping his face and leaning in for a wet kiss, barely accomplished through their smiles. “Yes!” Newt pulled her hand away from his face and held it in his own. He pulled the ring from the box, which had fallen to the blanket, and slipped it carefully onto her finger. She looked down at the round diamond and intricate filigree, the sunlight catching the stone and metal, making the ring dazzle. It was beautiful.

She caressed the ring lovingly with her opposite thumb, then turned to Newt with a beaming smile. She was buzzing with excitement, happiness, and adoration for this man who had made her so happy. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him again, his hands pulling her tightly against him. He sighed deeply, relaxing after what must have been a day full of nervous anticipation. “You make me so happy,” he whispered, “I am the luckiest man in the world.”

Tina huggled him more tightly and shook her head, her hand coming up to tangle into his hair. She was going to marry this man. She loved him more than she ever thought possible.

“I’m the lucky one.”


	4. Found Family/Anti-Villain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oops....I wrote the days out of order. I forgot to do day 4 and went right on to day 5. So, you get day 5 today and day 4 tomorrow. I figured you would all be okay with that. *shrugs*
> 
> Day 5: Find Your Destiny (Found Family/Anti-Villain)

Pulling her deep purple cloak more tightly around her shoulders, Queenie Goldstein sat on the cold, cement step of a townhouse. The windows were dark and the air around her was chilled. Tiny flecks of snow swirled around her as she sat, but she paid them no mind as they fell into her golden curls, melting on contact. The witch was watching through the windows of the townhouse across the street where the lights in the windows were shining brightly, illuminating the sidewalk below. A small menorah had been placed in the corner of the window, seven of the eight candles lit and shining brightly. 

_Had she lit her candles alone this year, or had she asked someone to join her?_

Queenie pulled her wand out with a shaky hand and tapped it to the top of her head, hard. The feeling of something slimy and cold made its way from her head down, throughout her body. She couldn’t risk being seen, especially by her sister. She had to be careful, Gellert didn’t know she had come tonight. She sighed as she bit her lip absently. He would know soon enough, she was sure. 

Within the windows sat the people who meant most to her in the world. Her sister, the only family she truly had left. Her thoughts were the easiest to read after years of practice. Even at this distance, she could hear her clearly without trying. She was happy, content...in love. It wasn’t hard to see why. 

Newt adored her. He sat to her left, his right arm draped casually across the back of her chair. His thoughts were swirling quickly, bouncing from one idea to the next in the rapid fashion she was used to hearing from him. What surprised her was how her sister’s name was intertwined with every thought he had. She smiled sadly as she read him. He adored her sister, and she was happy for them. Her chest tightened as she heard a stray thought filter through his mind. 

_Ring...engagement...love...wedding...Tina…_

He would ask her soon. She knew it would happen eventually. Between his letters and his disappointment after finding Tina was not with her when she brought Jacob to London, she knew he cared. She knew her sister cared as well, she had listened to her growing feelings for months before feeling the heartbreak that had been caused by a ridiculous magazine article. She was glad they had worked things out, that they made each other happy. She needed Tina to be happy, and she knew she would be if she had him at her side.

The man across the table was someone she hadn’t seen before. He seemed familiar somehow, but she knew she had never met him. This must be Theseus. He had to be Newt’s brother, they shared enough features and similarities. He was family at least, Queenie could tell that much. She struggled with his thoughts. They were hard to grasp, quiet and flowing, protected. The accent didn’t help. She didn’t know him and had a hard time grasping his lines of thought at this distance. He had a kind aura, though. He sipped a glass of red wine then laughed at something that had been said, his solid hand coming up to clap the shoulder of the man at his left.

_Jacob._

Her hands clenching, Queenie felt tears gathering on her lashes, one slowly falling down her pink cheek. Jacob. He had been her everything. _Was_ her everything. She had tried so hard to make it work and had still lost him. She had walked through fire for him and he refused to follow. He called her crazy, but she was only crazy for him. He just couldn’t see it, how much he meant to her. How much love they could have together if he would only give things a chance. Now… Queenie was lost, forgotten as this new family met together for a warm Christmas dinner while she, Queenie, sat alone and freezing on the cement step of an abandoned townhouse. Tears flowed freely now as Queenie tried to hold back her sobs. They couldn’t hear her, it would be disastrous. She couldn’t be found, if they knew…

Gulping breaths of cold air, Queenie willed herself to calm down. She wasn’t sure why she came here. She couldn’t see them, couldn’t go to them. They wouldn’t forgive her anyway, especially now that she had kept her secret from them for so long. She had to continue the fight for what was right. She had to right the wrongs of her Government, she had to be free to live a life with Jacob, safely. She needed to finish what she had started, make them see that it was the only way to be truly free. With him, with their children someday. Gellert had promised her freedom and happiness, and she had to trust him now.

The group laughed deeply at something Tina had said and Queenie saw Newt slide his arm around her shoulders, squeezing affectionately. Jacob held up a glad of wine, grinning happily and saying something to the group before raising his crystal goblet in salute before drinking the last of the red liquid in a single gulp. He was smiling, laughing...and he was not thinking of Queenie. Hadn’t thought of her once since she had arrived. Tina had, briefly, but Jacob hadn’t.

Queenie’s eyes squeezed shut, tears splashing onto her cheeks and running down, down, down before dripping from her jaw. Why had she come, she wondered. It seemed like a good idea when she had snuck out of headquarters an hour ago. She just hadn’t thought that they would have forgotten her so quickly, that they would be happy without her there.

Had she expected them to be mourning her, the loss of her presence? Had she believed that their lives would stop without her there? She supposed that the idea didn’t make sense. Their lives would go on, grow, evolve...but she felt like she was in limbo, between one chapter and another, unmoving. She knew what her next chapter would be now, and she knew that she would have to face it alone. The thought made her sick to her stomach and she muffled the sobs that came, willing her emotions to wait until she was in the safety of her room.

Pushing herself up with difficulty, she stood on the sidewalk, taking one last look at the people she loved through the frost-edged window. She began to walk down the sidewalk, away from the light, her hand curled protectively around her swollen abdomen. She wouldn’t tell Jacob. He would hate her for keeping this from him for so long. Someday, she would make this right and they could be together. The three of them. For now, she would walk back through the dark. Alone. This was her life now, this was what she had chosen. For the greater good. 


	5. Beyond the Magic (No Wand)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is day 4 (being posted on day 5, oops)
> 
> Day 4: Beyond the Magic - No wand

“Newt, _stop_ ,” Tina laughed as her husband held her tightly around her waist where they were sprawled on the couch. He kissed her cheek and released her, causing her body to roll into the vacant space between where he lay and the back of the couch. She laughed, her hand holding her stomach and tears streaming from her eyes as she struggled to pull in full breaths. Newt, similarly, was looking at her with tears of mirth in his eyes as he laughed with her.

She had missed this. It had been so long since they had both been home long enough to relax into domestic normalcy and the moments like this were filling her heart with the joy it had been missing for months. These moments reminded her of her parents when she was a child. The memory of their laughter and playing had been something that had been clear in her mind all of these years. When they crossed the threshold into their home, the conventions of the outside world were left at the door and they could be free to be affectionate, silly, and in love. Tina never understood what the laughter had been until she was much older and found herself in similar situations with Newt. It was how she knew that she could marry him. He gave her a relationship and fun and filled with love as her parents had all those years ago. 

However, she had taken the past few nights off of work after returning from her trip to Spain, and now that they had calmed their more amorous sides, they were relaxing into their life together again. Now, she needed to get back to her work preparations, she would be returning to the Ministry in the morning. 

Tina groaned as she caught her breath, a silly grin still spread across her face. Newt was pressed against her on the couch, his hair a mess and his eyes closed. “Hmm?” he asked quietly, never opening his eyes as he ran a lazy hand up and down her side.

“I need to read those case files tonight,” Tina said quietly, her desire to work quite a bit less than it usually was. She was warm, comfortable, and in Newt’s arms. “I just don’t _want_ to,” she added with a fake pout. 

Newt laughed softly as he opened his eyes to look at her where she laid inches from him. “Honestly, I don’t want you to either,” he whispered with a smile, “but if you don’t, Theseus is going to blame me for you not being prepared for work.”

“Well, it wouldn’t be your fault,” she said, chuckling.

“You know him, he’d find some reason to make it my fault.”

“That’s, uh….probably true,” Tina responded, “but, to be fair, things that go wrong usually are your fault.”

“Hey, now…” Newt said with a laugh, lightly tickling her side and making her squirm. Tina grabbed his hand and held it in her own as she snuggled into her small space. 

“I don’t want to get up. I’m comfortable.”

“Me too,” Newt said softly, his arms draping around Tina and holding her to him lightly. She tucked her head onto his shoulder and closed her eyes. 

“Now I really don’t want to get up,” she whispered. She felt Newt chuckling under her cheek and his arms tightened around her ever so slightly. 

“Just summon them over. I don’t mind you reading and using my shoulder for a pillow. I quite enjoy that, actually.”

“My wand is on the dinner table,” Tina said, regretfully. “I didn’t realize you would be pulling me into a couch cocoon when I walked by.”

“Ahh, well, here…” Newt raised one arm up and quickly flicked his hand. Tina’s black bag flew over to the couch, the handle landing perfectly in his palm before swinging down and bumping his forearm. “Your papers, love.”

Tina stared wide-eyed at her husband, quickly sitting up next to him and looking down into his face. “What was _that_?” she exclaimed, her eyes darting to her bag and back to Newt. “You can do wandless magic?”

“I-- Yeah. I thought you knew.”

“No! Where did you learn to do that?”

Newt sat up slowly, placing Tina’s bag between them on the couch. He crossed his legs, sitting knee to knee with his wife. “Uagadou”

“In Uganda?”

“Yes. They are known for self-transfiguration and becoming Animagi, and I wanted to see their teaching practices.”

“You told me about that part, but what about the wandless magic?”

“Oh, well, they don’t use wands that much, you see. The older generations don’t trust them. They learn to cast using only their hands most of the time. Wands are used only for channeling their magic for more difficult or powerful spells.”

“So they taught you while you were there?”

“It’s really not as difficult as most wizards make it out to be. I always thought it took great power to cast, but it really just takes self-awareness and focus.” Newt held his palm out to Tina, showing her his right hand. “When I cast with my wand, I always focused my magic through my wand. That is how I was taught. What they taught me is that your magic comes from you, not the wand, and it is only there because the core is a conductor of magic. It gathers chaotic energy and organizes it for you.” Newt flicked his fingers and a heatless flame appeared in his palm, “If you learn to focus your magic, however, and organize the chaos yourself rather than depending on a wand, you can learn to cast without.”

The fire went out with a flick of his wrist, and Tina was watching him with awe. “Can you teach me?” she asked eagerly.

“I can try,” he replied, pulling his wand from his holster. “So here, where I hold my wand, this is my natural magical pattern. I learned to cast this way. Everyone holds their wand slightly differently, and that is the position that they learn to use to channel their energy.” Newt released his wand and slid it away from his hand. “My natural casting point, based on the way I hold my wand is my second knuckle on my first finger, just here.” Making a light fist, as if he were holding his wand, Newt showed Tina that this knuckle stuck out naturally as if to support his wand. “You visualize your energy leaving your body, collecting into order, and then send it out through that casting point.”

“So I need to visualize sending my energy through my knuckle, then?” Tina was looking down at her hands curiously.

“Not necessarily. You see, _you_ hold your wand like this, more enclosed in your hand.” Newt curled Tina’s fingers the way she normally held her wand. “Your hilt is far heavier than my own, so you support it differently.” Closing her eyes, Tina imagined she was holding her wand, it was easy to do, it felt as if it was part of her. 

“Where do you envision your casting point to be?” Newt asked, lightly flattening her hand between them, palm up.

“I actually think it’s the heel of my hand, just below my thumb,” she replied, rubbing a fingertip across the soft, pale skin. 

“Interesting,” Newt pondered. “Now, close your eyes and try to envision your energy gathering throughout your body and your magic flowing through that point. Use a simple spell, something that comes naturally to you, that you haven’t struggled to master.”

“Okay. What about the disarming spell?”

“That would work. I’ll hold my wand here, it will be close to you so we can start small.” Tina closed her eyes. “Good,” Newt said quietly, “You may have to verbalize the spell, it takes quite a bit of practice to be able to cast without a wand _and_ nonverbally.”

“Okay.” Tina took a deep breath in and released it in one long rush of air. “Ready?”

“Ready when you are, love.”

“Here goes…” Tina closed her eyes and concentrated, visualizing like Newt had told her to, then when she felt that her chaos had been properly organized, she said “Expelliarmus!” loudly and clearly. Opening her eyes, she saw that the wand was still in her husband’s hand. “Blast…” she said under her breath.

“It’s okay, Tina. Nobody masters it on the first try.” Newt straightened his wand, “You pulled it forward, so it’s working, but it’s not quite there yet. Try it again.”

Tina repeated the actions several more times, her mind feeling the fatigue that the concentration was causing her. “This is tiring,” she observed after her sixth attempt to cast. This time she had pulled the wand from Newt’s hand, but it had fallen to the couch between them instead of into her waiting hand.

“It is. That’s why I rarely use it. It wasn’t taught to me as a child, so it doesn’t come naturally to me. It gets exhausting after a while, but I’ve been thankful to have the skill a time or two over the years.” Newt nodded at her, checking her readiness. “Are you ready for another?”

“One more, I think.”

“Perfect. One more, then you’ll rest.” Newt grabbed his wand, holding it up vertically in front of him. “Try it with your eyes open this time. Now that you know the feeling of channeling your energy, your sight might help.

“Alright,” Tina replied, rolling her neck and shoulders, loosening the muscles that had been clenched through her concentration over the past several minutes. “I’m just gonna go for it,” she said quickly. “Expelliarmus!”

Newt’s wand pulled from his hand and toward her lap. Tina, with her quick reflexes gained from years of Auror training, dipped her hand down and caught it easily in her palm. “Does that count?” she asked.

“I’d say yes, close enough.” Newt chuckled, taking his wand from Tina’s hand and putting it back into the holster on his hip. “Now, you’d better read those reports before Theseus comes after both of our heads.”

Tina giggled, pulling the discarded bag back up onto the couch as Newt stood up from the couch, walking toward the kitchen. “Tea?” he asked, looking over his shoulder at her.

“Yes, please,” she replied, pulling folders full of papers out of her bag and placing them into order on the cushion next to her. “Thank you for teaching me that, Newt. I’ll have to keep practicing it. It might prove to be handy out in the field sometime.”

“My darling,” Newt said with a grin as he spooned teaspoonfuls of leaves into the teapot, “I do not doubt that your abilities will far exceed mine within the month.”


	6. I can't believe you're actually wearing my clothes...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 6: Free Day
> 
> This is fulfilling an anonymous prompt over on Tumblr. "I can't believe you're actually wearing my clothes..."

At the sound of footsteps on the cement steps, Newt turned from his work to look up at Tina. She was descending into the menagerie wearing tweed trousers and one of Newt’s button-up shirts. She had tucked the shirt into the waistband and rolled the sleeves up to her elbows.

“There! They don’t fit perfectly, the trousers are a little loose, but they will work for now.”

Newt laughed, a smile stretching across his ink-splattered face. “I can’t believe you’re actually wearing my clothes.”

“Well, what else am I supposed to wear?” Tina said, joining him at the bottom of the staircase. She ran her hand up his sleeve where the black spots had sunk deeply into the fabric. “I don’t have anything else here with me, and it will take me a while to scourgify those marks out of my clothes.”

“I know,” Newt replied, “it is just a new look for you. I rather like it.”

Tina grinned, “Oh, do you now?” She had been enjoying their more casual flirting these past couple of weeks. Neither were ready to take the next step into something more yet, but they knew that something was there. The days together had let them relax into whatever this was and enjoy each other’s company.

“Of course.” Newt picked up the pail at his feet, the water within stained black with the ink he had just finished scrubbing off of the damp floor. “You look far better in those clothes than I ever could.”

Tina chuckled to herself, pulling the handle of the bucket from Newt’s hands and taking it over to refill it with clean water from the tap. “I don’t know about that…” She looked up at Newt, who was watching her, and flashed him a grin. Newt felt color rushing to his cheeks as he smiled awkwardly and looked down at the ground. The sound of running water stopped as Tina hauled the now full bucket over to the edge of the water enclosure to continue scrubbing the ink stains off of the stone floor.

“Why don’t you go up and get tidied up, I’ll finish cleaning up down here.”

“Oh, I couldn’t…”

Tina turned her head as she got down to her knees, a scrub brush in her hand. “Go, I’ve got it.”

Newt nodded, the ink in his hair making it stick up awkwardly, “Alright. Thank you, Tina.” He turned and bounded up the stairs, two at a time. Tina smiled and turned back to the work before her. She saw the quickly growing squid now flopping around in the water, the kelpie keeping its distance from its new tank-mate.

Tina pointed the end of the brush at the squid. “And you, young man...no more of that. You made a mess…” She saw a tentacle rise above the water and come down quickly, creating a large splash, as if the squid had heard or understood her. Rolling her eyes, Tina began scrubbing the ground and siphoning ink with the tip of her wand. This new creature acquisition was lucky he was cute, she thought.


	7. All This Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 7: Pages of Poems (Songfic)
> 
> Thank you, [@hidetheteaspoons ](https://hidetheteaspoons.tumblr.com/), for your song suggestion. It was perfect!

“All this time we were waiting for each other.

All this time I was waiting for you

We got all these words, can't waste them on another.

So I'm straight in a straight line, running back to you.”

“All This Time” by OneRepublic

Listen to the song here: <https://youtu.be/rMPa5QxyJb4>

*************************************

Theseus strolled up the dim corridor, the only light coming from a door that was open only inches, the brightness within illuminating the dark tiles on the floor before it. He slowed, looking through the opening at the sole occupant of the office within. Newt sat hunched over a pile of yellowed papers, his quill scratching untidy notes on another piece of parchment at his side. His cheek rested on his hand, his bent arm held up by the blemished desktop. 

It was late, very few occupants remained in this part of the building. Newt, despite his reluctance for humdrum desk work, as he usually called it, had been working long hours at the Ministry. His book being complete and his travels being restricted, he was left with the paperwork that had been piling up for months. He was tired, Theseus could tell, but the work kept his mind off of what was missing.

It had been ten months since Tina had been called back to New York after the Paris Incident. Ten months of letters and uncertainty, separation, and longing. Theseus could see the strain it had put on his brother, and he could only imagine Tina was feeling the same. Once they had disclosed their feelings to each other, they longed to be together again, but fate and their work had separated them. Letters had been their only communication, but it was getting to the point when it was no longer enough. 

Theseus was very happy to finally deliver some good news to his brother, he felt like he had delivered blow after blow for the past six months.

Rapping his knuckle against the wooden door, he pushed it open and the light within spilled across his face. “Hello, Brother.”

“Theseus! What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing. It’s after ten.” Theseus pushed the door open the rest of the way and stepped into the small, cluttered space. Newt sat back in his chair as he stretched his arms above his head and released a long breath. “You alright?”

“Yeah,” Newt leaned against his desk. “I should probably go home. I have things I should get done there.”

“Oh, well...not quite yet.” Theseus grabbed Newt’s suit jacket off of the hook next to the door and tossed it in his brother’s direction. “I have a surprise for you. Come with me.”

Newt caught his jacket clumsily and stood up. “What are you on about?” he asked, swinging his jacket around his body and slipping it onto his shoulders. Theseus smiled and gestured toward the open door.

“Do you have anything you need to take with you? You won’t be coming back here tonight.”

“What are you-”

“I just got a clearance notification for an international portkey.”

“Okay…” Newt continued to look confused as Theseus flicked off the light and shut the door, locking it with a flick of his wand.

“The application was completed by Miss Tina Goldstein.”

Newt stopped, his eyes wide. He held onto the cool tile wall and turned to look at his brother. “What?” His mouth hung open in shock for a moment before he quickly composed himself. “When is she coming?” he whispered hoarsely.

“Ten minutes ago,” Theseus said through a chuckle. Newt’s head snapped around to look at him again.

“Where is she?”

“Waiting in the Atrium, I’d imagine.”

Newt turned away and started striding quickly down the corridor. “Oi!” Theseus shouted after him, “Wait for me!”

The brothers strode into the lift and, throwing the iron doors shut, they rode silently to the eighth floor. Theseus noticed that Newt was almost vibrating, the hand that was not clutching the leather strap above his head was balled into a fist and the muscles of his back were clenched tight in anticipation. He smiled amusedly as he watched Newt’s face, a mixture of excitement, nerves, and anticipation etched across his features. As they reached the eighth floor, a cool voice announced their arrival and Newt reached out to pull open the metal doors.

“I’ll leave you to it. Make sure she gets home, yeah?” Theseus watched as Newt nodded, his eyes locked on the small form that was sitting on the opposite side of the room. “Now, go get her.”

“Right,” Newt said in a whisper, his eyes never leaving Tina who had not yet noticed that she was being observed. Theseus smiled and strode away and around the corner. He couldn’t help but double back and watch as his brother strode nervously across the Atrium, the heels of his books clicking hollowly against the dark wood floors. Newt neared the Fountain of Magical Brethren, on the edge of which Tina sat with her dark blue traveling case at her feet. She turned at the sound of footsteps and her eyes locked with Newt’s.

“You.” She looked up at him from where she was seated, her eyes wide in astonishment. “You’re here…”

“Tina…” Newt had forgotten the intensity of her eyes, it took him slightly by surprise. She stood slowly and faced him. For several moments they watched each other, waiting for the other to move. Throwing caution to the wind, they both moved forward at the same time and they were in each others’ arms. Finally. Tina laughed as she held Newt to her, her cheek resting on his shoulder and his scent surrounding her. She fisted the back of his jacket in an effort to bring him closer and his arms wrapped protectively around her back. 

“What in Merlin’s name are you doing here?” Newt asked excitedly into Tina’s hair. She pulled away just enough to look into his face. 

“I realized something this morning. I have been waiting and waiting for MACUSA to transfer me. I have had my apartment packed up for weeks, just...waiting. Then I got your letter, the last one you sent. You said…”

“Yeah,” Newt said softly, his eyes softening.

“I realized that I didn’t want to wait anymore.” Newt stared down into her eyes, his expression one of awe as he came to terms with his reality. Tina was here, in his arms. It was more than he had ever dreamed a random Thursday evening could bring. 

“I packed up the last of my things, dropped off my last rent check on my way out the door, then went to MACUSA,” Tina continued. “I quit my job.”

“Wait, what?” Newt asked in surprise.

“I quit. I packed up my desk, cleared out my bank account, bought the most expensive portkey that I have ever purchased, and here I am.”

“Tina, I…” Newt searched for something to say, his mouth forming the beginning of several sentences, but no sound came forth. He was speechless, his mouth hanging open and his eyes widened in shock.

“I came straight here. I wrote a message on my application to Theseus telling him to pick me up when I got here. I wanted to see you. I’m so glad to see you. _So_ glad…” Her arms tightened around him once more and he could feel her breath against his neck, her hair tickling his chin. He felt her laugh and she pulled away again to look up at him with a grin. “It was the most reckless thing I have ever done.”

“Are you sure this is what you want, Tina?” Newt asked, his fingers lightly brushing the hair just behind her ear.

“Absolutely,” she said firmly, “I have waited long enough for my life to start. I waited long enough to find you, and I don’t want to wait anymore.”

Newt flashed her a beaming smile, her words stirring emotions in him that caused his eyes to mist over. Tina had a trail down her cheek where several tears had already made their way down her rosy cheeks, tinged pink with excitement and adrenaline. 

“I read your letter and I just… I want that too. I want this. Us.” Tina raised one hand to cup Newt’s cheek, rough with day-old stubble. “I want _you_.”

Newt released a breath he hadn’t known he had been holding in. He had no words, but he let his actions speak for him as he cupped her cheek and guided her lips to his own. He hadn’t known what her reaction would be, but she met him halfway, kissing him with the same enthusiasm and feeling he poured into their embrace. He felt her fingers glide into the hair at the nape of his neck as he ran the pad of his thumb along her cheek, dropping his hand slightly to cup her jaw. 

It wasn’t a long kiss, it was unpracticed, but it was perfect. The feeling of Tina’s lips on his own was everything. Knowing that she felt the same, that she wanted to pursue whatever was in the future at his side made him feel like he was flying. 

Pulling away, both were smiling brightly as they opened their eyes to look at the other, so close after so long. Newt laughed as his happiness spilled over, he continued to run the pad of his thumb lightly against her cheek. “I just can’t believe that…” He wasn’t sure what shocked him more, that she was here or that she wanted this as much as he did. He shook his head and touched his forehead to hers. “You are wonderful.” Tina’s smile widened as she finally heard him speak. “I missed you so much, Tina.”

“I missed you too.” Pulling him to her once more, she whispered her reply into his neck, shivering as she felt his hands run up her back. It felt far more intimate now that they had crossed that invisible line, it felt good. Real. 

“Would you like to come back to my flat? I can make us some tea and...we can talk?” 

“That sounds nice,” she replied, pulling away again, this time far enough to allow them to walk together. “I guess I should say hello to Jacob, too.” Laughing, Newt leaned down to pick up her case and, taking her hand, he led her toward the alcove that led to the now silent apparition room. 

As soon as they stepped through the door, a grinning Theseus stepped out of hiding and began walking toward the fireplaces at the far end of the cavernous room. He couldn’t hear what they had said between them, but he had seen enough. Their actions spoke for themselves. He shook his head, a smile crossing his face. Finally, it had happened. He was happy for his brother and Tina, it was about time that they had something good happen to them for a change. Stepping into the tile-lined fireplace, Theseus spoke loudly and clearly. “Scamander Manor.” With a whirl of green flames, he spun out of sight.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr! [@themysteriousphoenix ](https://themysteriousphoenix.tumblr.com/)


End file.
